Contemporary works for saxophone and orchestra are common in these times, commissioned by and performed by many stellar players, including this disc 's soloist, the Amsterdam-born Arno Bornkamp. But in the early part of the 20th century, such works were to the credit of virtually one person: the French-born American Elisa Hall (1853-1924). Receiving a cultured upbringing in Boston and France that led to an affinity for music, she eventually married the renowned surgeon Richard Hall, settling in California. A bout with typhus affected her hearing, and her husband suggested taking up a wind instrument to counteract her loss. All she could find was a saxophone in her small town of Santa Barbara. After the sudden death of Dr. Hall in 1897, leaving Elisa financially independent, she returned to Boston and, joining forces with her musical coach Georges Longy (founder of the famed Longy School) founded the Boston Orchestral Club. She eventually developed the idealistic notion of building a repertoire, mainly French, for her instrument and her musical associates. As a result, 22 works by 16 different composers were written and now comprise the Elisa Hall Collection housed in the music library in Boston. This disc includes some of the best, including the now famous Debussy Rapsodie.